Moving display sign



v,April 29, 1930.

l..1 R. PORTS 1,756,523

MOVING 'DISPLAY SIGN Filed Deo. 1l, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,l BATHINI; f1 9 I f Swlw April 29, 1930. l.. R. PoRTs 1,756,523 l MOVING DISPLAYSIGN Filed Deo. 11, 1928` 2 sheets-sheet 2 HH U1 f fed olv wn/f fH:f7/'Lilia @fo/c Il l am Patented Apr. 29, 1930 PAT s LOUISE R. PORTS,TROUTDALE, OREGON MOVING DISPLAY SIG-N Application led. December 11,1928. Serial No. 325,289.

My present application relates to my United States patent application,Serial Number 52,118, filed August 24, 1925, upon a Moving display sign.

The object and purpose of my present application is a simplified form ofconstruction, adapted for use in the displaying of a multiplicity ofsigns continuously appearlng 1n the same order withina relatively narrowdisplay case, the case being adapted to d isplay a permanently fixedsign on either side and at the lower edge thereof, means being providedwithin the end Astructure to indicate in moving form a disappearing signthat disappears and reappears in timed 'relationshi further object of mypresent invention consists in a sign relatively cheap in manufacturingcost, one adapted for the advertising of a relatively large numberl ofproducts,

and one that can be safely hung and maintained in an open passageway orover a sidewalk. Y

-Still further objects of my present invention consist in a device thatmay be operated over relatively long periods without attention or care.

A still further object of my invention consists in providing meanswherebythe direct rays of lights will fall directly upon the movablesign boards during a part of their travel and expose them to view andduring the rest of their travel will remain in shadow. y

And still further objects of my invention 85 consist in providing abaseadapted to prevent the falling of one or more of the sign elementsshould the same become disconnected. y

With these and incidental objects in view,

4o the invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth inthe appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which ishereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany andform a part of this specification In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled device.

Fig. 2 is an end view, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection indicated.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, cross section view, taken online 8 3 of Fig.4, looking in the direction indicated. y

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional front view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional, end view, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, looking inthe direction indicated.

Fig. 6 is another embodiment of the end view taken on line 2 2 of Fig.1, looking in the direction indicated. y

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

I preferably form my display case of a rectangular housing, havingpaneledV side walls 1, and 2, the same being adapted for the placingthereupon of a relatively permanent sign on which the main products tobe advertised are displayed at either side of the display case. A topwall 3, connects the sides and ends. lThe ends are shownvat 4 and 5. Theend structures have supportingVV bases for the brackets and journals' tobe secured thereto upon which the sign structure is mounted. v i

Oppositely disposed brackets 6 and 7 are mounted within the case withinwhich journal shafts 8 and9 are mounted. The journal shafts arepreferably made in the forni of stub shafts to which are mounted toothedsprocket wheels 10. Disposed in the lower part of the case or acket is atransverse shaft 11, j ournaled within suitable journals 12 and 13. Alsosecured to the shaft 11 are toothed sprockets 13. The shaft 11 is thedriving shaft and the sprockets 13 are iXedly secured thereto. Endlesschains 14 and 15 are trained about the sprockets and are driven f intimed relationship with each other. A prime mover, as an electric motor16, is mounted within the case and has a worm reduction gear 17, securedto the main driving Y shaft which is adapted to coact with the wormwheel V18, also xedly secured Lto the shaft 11. This imparts rotation tothe shaft 11 and to the sprockets 13, mounted thereupon, and likewise tothe endless driver ele- V100` ments 14 and l5. The sprockets mountedadjacent either end of the shaft l1 are alike in diameter and number ofteeth so that the elements being driven thereby are driven also in timedrelationship. The lower' surface 19 of the case is cut away, as shown at20,'to permit of the sprockets and chain ezt-:tending therebelow, andsecured to the 'chains area multiplicity of sign boards 2l. Each of thesign boards have an outwardlyv extending supporting lug 22, disposed ateither end thereof which acts as a journal for the' supportingpin 23,directly positioned upon the chain. Each of the sign board elements 21is adapted and arranged for having a sign placed on oppositely disposedsides of the board so that when the same appears below the bottom of thecase, the same may be readily observed from either side. The mechanism,as herein illustrated, has arranged thereupon signs as would be used inconjunction with a bath house or a manufacturer of lbathing suits andthe like, and in order to further carry out this line of advertising, Ihave illustrated upon the end section 5 of the case, a panel in which isportrayed a bath pool or pond 2st, andjl place upon the stub shaft 9, adisk or disk segments 25 which are adapted for rotation with therotation of the shaft 9, and l display upon the segment 25 one or moreiigures 26, here portrayedas a diving nymph, so that but one of thefigures' appear at a time and the disappearing of the same behind thepool, leaves the impressionwith the observer that the nymph is divingintorthe pool. The same may be portrayed upon a disk 27,

as illustrated in Fig. 5, and as the same is l,

rotated the diving nymph will appear to plungeV into the pool.

My invention is primarily intended for use in towns, villages and citieswherein density of trafiic is to be considered, and wherein signs areplaced and maintained under ordinarices, and operated by license. In.many of the cities ordinances'prohibit the hanginj;- or maintaining ofsigns over sidewalks, where moving parts are in operation without safetydevices being placed adapted to prevent the falling or dropping of themoving elements should the samebecome disengaged or disconnected fromitssupporting element. l place supporting` elements 28 adjacent each cornerof the ease structure and extend the same downwardly for a suihcientdistance to permit the-cross bars 29 and the screen bottom 30 to clearthe signboard 2l, when atl its lowest point. In the event of thesignboard element becoming disengaged from the endless chain elements,the same cannot drop to the street but will be `maintained upon thesupporting element 30. I preferably form the supporting Velement 30 of arelatively coarse screen or lattice work suiciently strong to supportthe signboard, and sulficiently open in its construction to permit ofthe passage of the light therethrough.

lt is highly desirable to illuminate the signboards as the same comeinto view and to intensify the light for a limited time only as thesignboard comes into view and to. prevent the strong rays of the lightbeingdirected upon the signboard for the full'passage of the same' toview. Bestl results being obtained wherein a light V3l is placed belowthe sign on the side where the sign board travels toward the light andby placing a light 32 above the signboard where the signboard travelsaway from 'thelight Byv so placing the lights for the signboards, bestresults obtain and the signboards will be illuminated to the bestVadvantage for the advertiser. Each of the lights should be so placed asto be out of vision from the reader ofthe signs.

vWhere the bathing nymph- 26 is desiredA to appear as if diving from aspringboard, the same may be accomplished as shown vin Fig. 6, whereinthe spring boardis shown 33 and the nymph 34 is attached to an arm 35directly attached to the driving shaft.

VVThe nymphl appears immediately above the spring board and is securedto the outer endV of the arm -35 similar in color to theiield the sceneand 'thus appears t0 be 1111213091 tached and will Yin appearance Vdiveinto the water :is-illustrated. e Y

I do not wish to `be limited toa diving figure, as the same issusceptible` of'portrayingany number, orvarietyof objects of which thisis intended as a single eX- ample. y

lilhile the form of mechanism herein shown and describedy is admirablyadapted to fulfillthe objects priinarilystated. itis to be. understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form ofembodiment herein shown 'and described, as it is susceptible ofembodiment in various for1ns,`all coming withinV the scope of the claimswhichV follow. ,f

TWhat I claim is: f l. ln a device' of the class described, thecombination of, a ease, `display panels disllO posed in oppositelydisposed sides of the case, endless chains disposedabout supportingelements disposed within oppositely disposed ends of the case, a drivingelement for the chains, amultiple of display'sign boards hingedlymounted upon the endless chains and adapted for displaying below thebottom edge of the case incontinuous display as the chains arerotat-edabout the supporting elements and a disk secured to one ofthe upper stubshafts disposed at the outer end of the display case and a displaydisposed upon the disk and said displaydisposed so as to appear anddisappearA as the disk is rotated.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a display case, display panels disposed on the outersurfaces of the case, shafts and supporting journals disposed Within thecase, sprockets in registerable alignment disposed Within each end ofthe case, supporting elements trained about the sprockets, a prime moverfor imparting movement to the supporting elements, simultaneously,display signboards disposed in spaced relationship upon the supportingelements, and a disk mounted on the outer end of one of the uppersprockets having one or more images disposed upon the outer surfacethereof.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a displaycase, display panels disposed on the outer surfaces of the case, shaftsand supporting journals disposed Within the case, sets of sprocketsdisposed upon the shafts in registerable alignment, endless supportingelements trained about each set of sprockets, means for driving each setof sprockets and the elements trained thereabout in timed relation Withthe other sets of sprockets and the endless supporting elements, a primemover for imparting movement to the endless supporting elements, amultiple of signboards disposed in spaced relationship hingedly securedto the endless Supporting elements, illuminating elements disposedWithin the base and a screen base adapted for supporting disengagedsignboards disposed across the bottom of the case and spaced therefrom.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a displaycase, display panels disposed on the outer surface of the case, endlesssupporting elements disposed at the inner ends of the case, povver meansfor driving each of the endless supporting elements in timed relationWith eachother, signboards hingedly supported by the endless supportingelements in spaced relation thereupon, means for illuminating each ofthe signboards for a part of its travel at either side and means formaintainin disengaged signboards Within the base of t e case.

LOUISE R. PORTS.

